Fences are expensive to construct and time-consuming to maintain. To protect your investment and keep your fence looking good for many years, follow these guidelines:
- Use pressure-treated or naturally decay-resistant woods. Avoid ground contact for non pressure-treated components.
- For boxed posts, install small, screened vents to prevent moisture buildup inside the hollow post. This will help prevent rot.
- Use galvanized deck screws to assemble a fence. Using screws instead of nails will make future repairs and maintenance a lot easier. If a few pieces become damaged by rot or insects, it is relatively simple to unscrew the ailing parts and replace them, lengthening the useful life of the rest of the fence. Similarly, if the fence is damaged by a fallen branch, the broken section will be easier to unscrew and replace without damaging other parts.
- For fences built with newer pressure-treated woods, such as ACQ (alkaline copper quaternary) and CBA (copper boron azole), use stainless steel fasteners. They’re expensive, but the new rot-resisting chemicals are reported to be corrosive to other types of fasteners and may cause them to fail prematurely.
- To make fence posts last longer, saw off their tops at an angle so that they will shed rain rather than absorb it. Another option is to cover the post tops with a pyramid-shaped metal cap. You can buy caps at lumberyards and home centers or fashion your own from copper or aluminum roof flashing.
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For long-lasting fences, use pressure-treated or naturally decay resistant woods.
